We may never have met, let alone interacted with, these young chess players but we feel a magical sense of belonging. Not only did the Indian teams storm the world of chess and the internet by winning the Open and Women’s titles in the Chess Olympiad in Budapest on Sunday, but also the hearts of those who do not even follow the sport even cursorily.
It is beautiful, the connect we feel with a bunch we do not know first-hand. And that is truly the magical of power of sport, success and their ability to spread cheer. Though the special effects were not visible – no spear cutting through the night sky, no diving return, no yorker to set fireworks off, no spectacular saves off a penalty corner – the chess players held the nation in thrall.
As the champions uncapped their emotions, bottled as is the wont of chess players, we saw their human side one that presented the kids-next-door image. They celebrated with the gusto of India’s celebrated cricket and hockey teams. Each social media post by multiple handles showed then dancing with their blazers on, showcasing a different facet of the stars.
I shall leave the analysis of their daring to experts and people who are more steeped in chess than I can ever be. It’s best not to pretend to know the difference between King’s Indian Attack and Grunfield Defence or between the Ruy Lopez and the Caro-Kann Defence. Instead, it makes sense to look at the self-belief, confidence, mental toughness and resilience of these teams.
Absolute domination
The men’s team domination was absolute. Seeded second behind the United States of America, India made, to use horse racing parlance, every post a winning one. From the opening round when it beat Morocco 4-0, it lorded over the opposition with only Uzbekistan pinching a point with a 2-2 scoreline. That it won 27 games and lost just one tells a story of India’s astounding effort.
Impressively D Gukesh, playing the top board, gave the Olympiad campaign his everything. That he did not hold himself back from the match against China to avoid a potential match up with the world champion Ding Liren is testimony to his eagerness to do his best for his team. Eventually, the Chinese ace stayed away from locking horns with his challenger.
Women’s team overcomes hurdles
The top-seeded women’s team was challenged when it lost to third seed Poland 1-1/2 points to 2-1/2 in the eighth round and was held 2-2 by the United States of America in the ninth round. Kazakhstan catapulted to the lead. India had reason to worry as D Harika had suffered three defeats in eight games. Yet, it held itself and its collective nerves together admirably.
India faced China and Azerbaijan, seeded fourth and sixth respectively in the last two rounds. The team backed its four best players to do the job and was rewarded with wins in both matches. If they felt any pressure, none of the players allowed that to be apparent, definitely not to their respective opponents. It resulted in India claiming six of the eight points from these two matches.
There can never be an iota of doubt that V Anand broke fresh ground many a time and inspired generations to follow in his wake. This bunch has carried the torch further ahead, showcasing a fearlessness, laced with responsibility. It is a feature that is now palpable in the country’s athletes across disciplines.
Yet, it must be said that there is very different feel to success in team sport when compared to individual sport. While it is unfair to compare them, it will not be an exaggeration to say that such victories bring the nation together in celebration more than successes in individual sport. And that is the reason why we seek more of these.
PS: At a personal level, this run of the Indian chess teams in the Olympiad has helped me put pen to paper – so to say – to write on sport in its purest form after a while. My assignment as Press Attache of the Indian contingent at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games kept me away from writing so much that it was not easy to rediscover that.
It is not as if one could flick a switch and find the flow. I owe my joy of being able to overcome my own inertia of the past month and of being able complete this piece to the amazing bunch of men and women who did us India proud with their conquest in Budapest. I am grateful to The Chess Champions.
Photo: Courtesy fide.com
